Attachment for feeding devices



Sept. 21

P. H. MQCAIN ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING DEVICES 1 Filed June 13 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 21

P. H. MCCAIN.

ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13, 1923 wIt! V l4 mz Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL H. MCCAIN. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMY SCREW CORPORA-TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR Application filed June 13,

This invention relates. to improvements in an attachment particularlyadapted though not necessarily limited in its use with feeding devicesfor screws or bolt making inachines and one ofthe objects of theinvention is to provide an improved structure of this character whichwill substantially continuously and rapidly supply the articles to thefeeding device and at the same time present the articles in a properposition thereto.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this characterembodying a hopper for containing the articles to be operated upon and arotatable element operating in the hopper and having a constantdirection of motion, the said element being provided with a plurality ofradially arranged pick up arms or portions which are arranged todischarge the articles to a, delivery chute,

the inlet of the latter being disposed adja-' cent the axis of rotationof the said element, the delivery chute being provided with a gap orspace across which the articles will jump during their passage throughthe delivery chute. thereby providing a space through which an excesssupply of articles will fall through and back into the hopper when thedelivery chute is full.

A further object is to provide improved means located adjacent the gapfor discharging or dislodging any article which may be presented theretoin an improper position or in the event that an article presented to thedelivery chute is too large to enter the chute.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects as will appear. the invention consists in the features ofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrange mentof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed andshown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device of this characterconstructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2, Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view as taken on line 3- 3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure. 5 is a detail perspective view of the controlling device for thedischarge of the articles from the picli up arms.

FEEDING' DEVICES.

shown in Figure 5, showing the same in a different position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designatesgenerally a hopper of any desired size and configuration and issupported upon a suitable base 11.

Projecting above the hopper are spaced uprights 1213 and between theseuprights a pick up device is arranged.

The pick up device preferably consists of two disc like elements 14,laterally spaced 7 from each other and preferably maintained in spacedrelation by means of spacing devices 15. These elements 14 are securedtogether by means of suitable fastening devices 16 so that the elementswill rotate in unison. The elements are each provided with a pluralityof arms or portions 17 projecting from the periphery inwardly andterminating short of the axis of rotation of the elements. These arms orportions 17 are provided with radially arrangedisurfaces 18 and the arms17 are laterally spaced from each other to form grooves 19-ijwhich areopen at the ends of the arms 17.

Any number of these surfaces 18 may be provided and are so arranged thatwhen the elements 14 are rotated the surfaces 18.jwill pass into thehopper 10 and pick up the -ar-. ticles contained therein. As shown inFig- Ts.

ure 3, the articles to be handled are screw blanks 20 which are adaptedto bepicked up by the surfaces 18 as the elements 14 rotate in thedirection indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 3, and will carry thearticles 20 to a position that they will slide down or be fed alongthesurfaces 18 towards the axis of rotation of the elements 14.

Any suitable means may be provided for supporting and rotating the pickup device thus constructed. means embodies a plurality of gear wheels 21with which peripheral teeth 22 on the elements 14 mesh. This pick upmechanism is supported by the lowermost gear wheels 21 A simple andeflicientandpower may be applied to the shaft 23 of one of the gearwheels 21 for operating the latter.

If desired the gear Wheels 21 may be formed by reducing a portionthereof as at 24 and which reduced portion is arranged adjacent thespace between the elements 14 Lil so as to prevent injury to the gears21.

Disposed adjacent the axis of the element 14 is a control device 25which is supported in any suitable manner preferably by means of asuitable bearing 26 and connected with the device is an operating handle27 by means of which the element 25 may be rotated or adjusted.

The extremities of the. arms or portions 17 of the elements 14 terminatein close proximity to the periphery of the element 25 and the latter isprovided with a groove- 28, one end 29 of which opens through theperiphery of the element 25 and the other end 30 of the groove opensthrough the lat eral face 31 of the element.

This element 25 is adapted to be rotated or positioned so that the spaceor groove 19 between the portions 17 of the elements 14 may be broughtinto register therewith to permit the articles 20, as they are fed bygravity down the surfaces 18, to enter the groove 28.

The element 25 is so positioned that the articles 20 will be deliveredfrom the surfaces 18 at any predetermined point in the rotation of theelements 14. This is accom plished by rotating the element 25 withrespect to the elements 14.

Leading from the hopper 10 is a chute 32. The inlet end 33 thereof isdisposed adjacent the axis of rotation of the element 25 and the inletend 33 is spaced from. the discharge outlet of the groove 28 to form aspace or gap 34 across which gap the articles 30 will jump when they aredelivered into the chute 32. Connected with the element 25 and formingan extension of the groove 28 is an element 35 which has a groove 36therein adapted to register with the portion 30 of the groove 28. Thiselement 35 is adjustably connected with the element 25 in any suitablemanner preferably by means of screws or bolts 37 which pass throughslots 38 in the element 35. The .face 31 of the element 25 is providedwith a recess 39 adjacent the end 30 of the groove 28. This recess 39 isprovided with walls diverging from the surface 40 of the element 25.

The element 35 is provided with a similar recess 41 in its rear face andis provided with walls diverging from the surface 42 of the element sothat when the element 35 is secured in posit-ion against the surface 31of the element 25, the recesses 39 and 41 will be brought into register.

No matter to what extent the element 25 is rotated for controlling thepoint at which the element 20 will be delivered from the pick up arms orportions 17 of the elements 14. When the element 25 is rotated to thedesired extent, the element 35 will also be rotated therewith but afterthe element 25 has been properly positioned, the fastening screws orbolts 37 may be loosened and the element 35 then adjusted with respectto the surface31 of the element 25 so that the groove 36 in the element35 will be in a proper position with the inlet 33 of the chute 32 todeliver the articles thereinto. 1

In use the element 25 is rotatably adjusted within certain limits, tomaintain the groove or slot 28 in a proper position to receive the boltsor screws. The position of he element 25 is important in that itcontrols or regulates the feeding operation and compensates varyingsizes and weights of the articles. If the element 35 is rotated with theelement 25 the end of the slot 36 will not be in a proper position, asthe end of the groove in the element 35 would he moved out of alineinentwith the chute 32.

Therefore, the element 35 being adjustable 25 to the element 35 and willprevent bind.-

ing or arresting of the feeding movement of the screws or bolts.

As the articles are delivered from the arms 17 into the groove 28 theywill be sus pended by their heads and when the element 35 is adjustedwith respect to the element 25, the recesses 39 and 41 will permit ofthe adjustment of the element 35 with respect to the element 25 withoutinterfering with the passage of the articles along the groove or chute.This is accomplished by reason of the fact that the articles will besuspended entirely by their heads as they pass from the element 25 tothe element 35 and the shanks of the screws will be permitted to swingin the recesses 39 and 41 if necessary.

It is thought that the operation of this device will be clearlyunderstood from the foregoing but briefly stated it is as follows. Thearticles to be picked up are placed within the hopper 10 and theelements 14 are rotated in the direction indicated. by the arrows inFigures 1 and 3. As these elements rotate the surfaces 18 will pass intothe supply of articles within the hopper and will pick up a suflicientnumber of articles to substantially fill the grooves or spaces 19.Inasmuch as the open ends of these spaces or grooves 19 are closed bythe periphery of gravity through this groove and through the groove 36.From the groove 36 the articles will jump across the space or gap 34 andinto the chute 32 from which chute 32 they are conveyed to the point ofuse.

Should the articles accumulate in the chute 33 faster than they can befed therethrough the surplus articles will drop into the gap 34 and backinto the. hopper, or should an article which is too large to pass intothe chute 33, or if the articles should be presented to the chute 33 inan improper position, the article will also drop into the gap 34 andback into the hopper.

If desired a clearance device 43, preferably in the form of a rotatablemember mounted in a bearing 44 and driven by a shaft 45, which receivesits motion from any suitable source, may be arranged adjacent the gap 34so as to assist in discharging the articles should they accumulate atthe inlet to the chute.

It will therefore be manifest that with this improved construction thechute which receives the articles 20 from the surfaces 18 of the pick uparms embodies the groove 23 in the element 25 and also the groove 36 inthe element 35 and the chute is provided with a gap 34 at a point in itslength and within the hopper 10 so that the articles which aredischarged through the gap 34 will drop back into the hopper.

The elements 14 are provided with opening 46 therein adjacent thesurfaces 18 and the bottoms 47 of these openings are adapted to passbelow the extreme bottom of the hopper 10, as shown in Figure 4, toinsure that all of the articles 20 in the hopper will be picked up bythe pick up device during the rotation of the latter.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown anddescribed itis to be understoodthat various changes -may be made in thedetails of construction and in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

lVhat is claimed as new i ,2-

1. A device of the character described embodying a hopper, a deliverychute, and pick up mechanism operative within the hopper and embodying aradially disposed pick up formation having a constant direction ofmotion and ada ted to be brought into register with the said deliverychute, said chuteembodying an adjustable section whereby the point inthe operation of the said formation at which the articles will bedelivered therefrom to the chute may be varied at will.

2. A device of the character described embodying a hopper, a deliverychute, and pick up mechanism operative within the hopper and embodying aradially disposed pick up formation having a constant. direc tion ofmotion and adapted to be brought into register with the said deliverychute, said chute embodying an adjustable section whereby the point inthe operation of the said formation at which the articles will hedelivered therefrom to the chute may be varied at will,'there being agap in the chute across which the articles will jump during theirtravel.

3. A device of the character described eurbodying a hopper, a deliverychute, pick up mechanism operative Within the hopper and embodying aradially disposed pick up formation having a constant direction ofvmotion and adapted to-be brought into register with the said deliverychute, said chute embodying an adjustable sec-tion. whereby the point inthe operation of the said formation at which the articles will hedelivered therefrom to the chute may be varied at will, there being agap in the chute across which the articles will jump during theirtravel, and a mechanical clearance device adjacent thesaid ga 4. Adevice of the character described embodyingv a hopper, a deliverychute,-pick up mechanism operative within the hopper and "adapted todischarge the articles into the chute, and means whereby the point atwhich the articles will be delivered from the pick up mechanism to thechute may be varied at will to compensate varying sizes and weights ofthe articles.

5. A device of the character described embodying a hopper, a deliverychute, said chute having a' gap across which the articles jump, pick upmechanism operative with-m in the hopper and adapted to deliver thearticles to the chute, and means whereby the point at which the pick upmechanism will deliver the articles .to the chute may be varied at willto compensate varying sizes and weights of the articles.

6. A device of the character described embodying a hopper, a deliverychute, said chute having a gap across which the articles jump, pick upmechanism operative within the hopper and adapted to deliver thearticles to the chute, means whereby the point at which the pick upmechanism will deliver the articles to the chute may be variedat will tocompensate varying sizes and weights of the articles, and a clearancedevice disposed adjacent the said gap.

7. A device of the character described embodying a hopper, a deliverychute, a plurality of radially disposed pick up formations, thedischarge ends of the said formations being adapted to be successivelybrought into 1 8. A device of the character described embodying ahopper, a pick up device rotatable therein and embodying complementarymembers, each member having radially disposed and inwardly projectingpick up formations terminating short of the axis of the members, meanssecuring said members and said formations together and in spacedrelation to form slots therebetween, a receiver for receiving thearticles from the said formations, said receiver embodying a sectionhaving a slot, the entrance of the slot being disposed adjacent the pathof movement of the delivery end of the said pick up formations, andmeans mounting said section for adjustment whereby the point in thecycle ofioperation of the pick up device at which the article isdelivered therefrom may be varied at will. i 9. A device of thecharacter described including a hopper, a receiver for the articles, apick up mechanism operating within the hopper, said mechanism includinga radially disposed pick up formation adapted to be brought intoregister with said receiver, said receiver including a member embodyingadjacent sections having abutting faces, and meansfor securing thesections together for relative adjustment, said sections havingregistering grooves for receiving and conveying away a blank, theabutting faces of the sections having enlarged registering recessescommunicating with the respective grooves.

10. A device of the character described including a hopper, a receiverfor the articles, a pick up mechanism operating within the hopper, saidmechanism including a radially disposed pick up formation adapted to bebrought into register with said receiver, the latter including a memberembodying adjacent sections having abutting faces, means for securingthe sections together for relative adjustment, said sections havingregistering grooves for receivin and conveying away a blank, theabutting faces of the sections having enlarged registering recessescommunicating with the respective grooves, and means mounting the memberfor adjustment whereby the point in-the cycle of operation" of the saidpick up device at which the articlellis delivered therefrom may bevaried at W1 11. A machine for feeding blanks, embodying a hopper, adelivery chute, a rotatable pick-up device operative in the hopper, saiddevice embodying a plurality of spaced and radially disposed pick-upformations terminating short of the axis of rotation of the said device,each of said formations having a continuous slot therein opening throughthe end thereof and adapted to be brought into register With the saidchute, the blanks moving by gravity upon said for mations and out of therespective slots and means whereby the point in the cycle of operationof the'pick-up mechanism at which the blanks are delivered into thechute may bevaried. I

12. A machine for feeding blanks, embodying a hopper, a delivery chute,a pick-up device operative within the hopper and embodying a radiallydisposed pick-up formation having a continuous slot therein, the blanksmoving by gravity in the said slot and out of the end thereof, and meanswhereby the point in the cycle of operation of the said pick-up deviceat which the blanks are delivered into the chute may be varied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, onthis th day of June, A. D. 1923.

PAUL H. MCCAIN.

